As a prerequisite for physician assistant registration, practitioners are required to complete continuing medical education.
As of December 2018 Physician Assistant Registrations/Renewals are on a biennial cycle (every 2 years). Even license numbers renew in even years, and odd license numbers renew in odd years.
Please note: There is no increase in the number of continuing medical education credits required prior to renewal as part of the biennial renewal system. Physician assistants will need to complete at least 40 credits of continuing medical education every 24 months. (24 month timeline is in relation to the biennial registration period, not the calendar year).
Documentation of CE courses shall be made available to the Board upon request, but should not be submitted with the registration. Random audits will be made to assure compliance.
Opioid CME Requirements
During the 86th legislative session, in an effort to combat the opioid crisis in Texas, there were multiple bills passed requiring physicians, physician assistants and other licensees to complete certain specific opioid related continuing medical education. At least 2 hours are required and must cover topics outlined in the TMB Initial Guidance on New Opioid Continuing Medical Education (CME) Requirements, as seen below.
Please read the TMB's initial guidance regarding opioid-related CME:
Human Trafficking Prevention Requirement
House Bill 2059 (86th Legislature) requires physicians, physician assistants, and any licensee of the TMB’s advisory boards or committees that provide direct patient care, to complete a human trafficking prevention course approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). This requirement applies to the renewal of a license on or after September 1, 2020.
HHSC is the approving body for the human trafficking prevention requirement. HB 2059 requires HHSC to approve training courses on human trafficking, including at least one that is free of charge, post a list of approved trainings on its website and update the list of approved trainings as necessary.
HHSC now has an approved course available, which is free of charge, that satisfies the requirements for all licensees impacted by HB 2059.
- See HHSC's Health Care Practitioner Human Trafficking Training page to access the approved courses and for more information about this requirement.
If you have any questions regarding continuing education requirements, please email us at registrations@tmb.state.tx.us .
For PA CME course listings contact:
Texas Academy of Physician Assistants: (512) 370-1537
Please note: There is no increase in the number of continuing medical education credits required prior to renewal as part of the biennial renewal system.
Physician assistants need to complete at least 40 credits of continuing medical education every 24 months. (24 month timeline is in relation to the biennial registration period, not the calendar year).
Physician Assistant CME Requirements (biennial)
Of the 40 credit hours required:
- At least 20 credit hours must be formal Category I credit provided by a CME sponsor that has been approved by the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
- As part of the 20 formal hours required, a course in human trafficking prevention approved by the executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission must be completed.
- See HHSC's Health Care Practitioner Human Trafficking Training page to access the approved courses and for more information about this requirement.
- The remaining 20 credit hours may be from Category II, composed of:
- informal self-study,
- attendance at hospital lectures,
- grand rounds, or
- case conferences and
- shall be recorded in a manner that can be easily transmitted to the board upon request.
- For physician assistants who are engaged in direct patient care; who prescribe, order, or administer opioids or controlled substances; or who have a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) number for prescribing or ordering opioids or controlled substances: as part of the 20 formal hours required, at least 2 hours must cover topics outlined in the TMB Initial Guidance on New Opioid Continuing Medical Education (CME) Requirements.
Completion of required CME is reported during registration. If an excess of the 40 hours are completed prior to registration, the excess hours may be applied to the following years' requirements, except for the required course in human trafficking prevention. The course in human trafficking prevention must be completed prior to each renewal
There is a maximum of 80 total excess credit hours that may be carried forward and a limit of two years from the date of the registration following the period during which the hours were earned. Excess hours are applied/reported according to their Category. See Board Rule 185.6 for additional information.
Exemptions:
A licensee may request in writing an exemption* for the following reasons:
- the licensee's catastrophic illness;
- the licensee's military service of longer than one year's duration outside the United States;
- the licensee's residence of longer than one year's duration outside the United States; or
- good cause shown submitted in writing by the licensee that gives satisfactory evidence to the board that the licensee is unable to comply with the requirement for continuing education.
*Exemptions are reviewed on a case by case basis and must be requested in writing at least 30 days prior to the expiration date of the license. An exemption may not exceed one registration period, but may be renewed, subject to approval.